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A. HARVIE-iz C. GUILD. APPARATU$ FOR CONDUCTING PERMENTATION.

No. 10,814. Patented Apr. 25, 1854,

' Hg-HUM ll N E PATENT OFFICE.

A. HARVIE AND C. GUILD, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

VINOUS FERMENTING IN CLOSED VESSELS.

Specification of Letters Patent Njo. 10,814, dated April 25, 1854.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR HARVIE and CHARLES GUILD, both of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio,have inventeda new. and useful Method of Conducting Vinous Fermentation; and we hereby declare the following to be. a full,,true, and exact descrip' tion thereof, reference being bad to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification.

Our invention, has for its object the greaterproduction of spirits from any. given quantity of material used, by means of the return into and disseminating through-fermenting liquids of the gases evolved by fermentation, in order thereby to condense, retain and rembody in the liquid the alcoholic vapor thrown off in conjunction with the carbonic acid gas, during the process of fermentation, and also by returning the carbonic acid gas to accelerate and render more mash, which is poured into them through manholes (a).

(6 5 I2 6) are plpes which communicate from the upper or gaseous part of one vat, and descend into the liquid in the next,

where it terminates in a coil bent slightly downward at the extremity, and so perforated as to disseminate the gas in numerous small streams through the liquid, thereby causing the latterto condense and retain as much as possible of the alcoholic vapor which would otherwise pass off with the car bonic acid gas and be lost. These pipes may be of copper or other material and should beso fixed that they may be readily taken apart and cleaned. They should be made sufficiently largeto permit free passage to the volume of gas evolved. In this manner the vat (l) communicates with vat (2), the latter with vat (3) that with vat (4) and the vat (4) with another vat (5) filled with water or other matter. This last named vessel which we call the condensing vat, may be open at the top or partially closed, leaving only a hole for the escape of the ,gas.

The entrance of each pipe except (6*) has a valve (0) which opens in the direction of the current. There may also be a valved piston or pump (2') attached to each pipe (I2 6 5 in order if found necessary to accelerate "at pleasure the passage of the gas and thus adjust the pressure in each vat so as togain uniformity of action and to avoid an inordinate and dangerous strain. on either vat. These-pumps may be all or any number of them worked at one time, and either by manual labor, or by power, and at any relative speed required. The last of these pipes (6 being the one which enters the ,condensin vat, has two separate pipes (d, cl.) one (cl terminates in a coil nearthe top of the liquid, and the other one (cl) terininates a sufiicient depth in the liquid to confine to the desired extent the gases. during the period of active circulation. itis desired to use the lower coil a cock (g) i in the upper one 5 gasthroughit.

When

prevents the escape of the The vat 4) has its upper portion placed in connection with the liquid in vat (1) by a pipe (6). A pump (f) at the entrance of this pipe is necessary to. force the gas back into the vat (l) as the latter is subjected to the greatest pressure. This pump may be worked by the same means the others are worked.

Cocks (h) connecting the return pipe (6) with the several disseminating pipes (6 b 6 respectively permit when opened the gas to take a shorter circuit. The valves of the disseminating pipes in this case serving to disconnect the vats beyond. This is of serv ice when only a portion of the vats are employed, or when the first ones in the series have completed their fermentation. One, two, three or more vats may be used on this principle, and they may be placed together so as to economize the space and piping required.

WVhen one vat only besides the condensing vat is used the gas from the returning pump passes down into the liquid of the same vat, through (5 The vats after the process of fermentation is finished may be empted in the usual way (2'. e. by holes in the bottom closed by a. plug when the vats are in use). The vats are filled to within about 10 or 12 inches of the head, care being taken that the liquid when in fermentation does not pass from one air which occupies the otherwise vacant space at top, when they must be shut tight.

The number of vats worked together may be varied at pleasure.

The advantages arising from conducting vinous fermentation in closed vessels and by causing the gas to be again conducted into fluids which are being fermented as described and represented in the drawings annexed, consists in producing a more'full and complete decomposition of matter made subject to vinous fermentation by the chemical action of the gas thereupon, and the gas being returned again and compelled to pass and repass into and from the liquid under process before it escapes into vat (5) causes it to leave behind in the liquid a very considerable portion of spirit that would otherwise escape in combination with the carbonic acid gas, by all of which a much greater amount of spirit is obtained than can be produced in the ordinary method of fermentation.

\Vhat we claim as new in the process and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The application of pumps, or of exhausters and blowers or other equivalent apparatus to draw the gas from one fermenting vat, and force it into the fermentmg liquid in another or the same vat, as herein described.

2. The arrangement of apparatus whereby a return current is created and the circulation of the gases caused, that is to say the return pipe (6) and pumps or mechanism substantially equivalent as set forth.

3. The check valves (h) in the disseminating pipes for the purpose of preventing any contrary passage of the liquid from vat to vat, from that which is intended in combination with the turn off cocks for the purpose of isolating a portion of the vats and shortening the circuitwhen desired, and the whole in combination with the pumps or valved pistons for the acceleration of the circulation and by-this means equalizing its action and removing the danger of bursting the vats.

4. The pipe (6 having two discharge nozzles at diiferent heights of the liquid of the condensing vat, and cooks in the upper nozzle in order to regulate the amount of vent or discharge.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands before two subscribing witnesses.

A. HARVIE. CHAS. GUILD.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, EDWARD H. KNIGHT. 

